Relationships and Health Education

Relationships and Health Education

At St. Stephen’s our priority is that all children feel included, respected, celebrated and empowered to become their happiest selves. Learning how to form and maintain healthy relationships is a key part of this and integral for our children’s wellbeing. Relationships and Health Education is a statutory subject however it links with many of the topics that PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education) has traditionally covered. From September 2020, Relationships and Health Education has been a formal lesson in our weekly timetable where each child’s class has a delegated (but not exclusive) time to explore and discuss topics. Each year, the children will develop their understanding of each topic in a safe, respectful environment through a spiral curriculum structure which covers families and people who care for me, caring friendships, respectful relationships, online relationships, being safe, mental wellbeing, internet safety, physical health and fitness, healthy eating, drugs, alcohol and tobacco, health and prevention, basic first aid, changing adolescent body and British Values.

We believe that Relationships and Health Education links with every other subject in our timetable. From working well in a team to solve a math’s puzzle, making sure all our friends are included in a game at playtime, or simply children understanding their new and changing emotions as they get ready to become an active, courteous and Christian member of society. Supported by the class teacher and teaching assistant, children will explore the units:

• Me and My Relationships
• Valuing Difference
• Keeping Safe 
• Rights and Respect
• Being My Best 
• Growing and Changing 

All teachers follow lessons planned by Coram Life Education:

https://www.coramlifeeducation.org.uk/

Teachers use formal assessment at the beginning and end of each unit as well as informal assessment throughout the units to help inform their teaching sequence and address any misconceptions or stimulate necessary conversations/additional lessons.

In their day to day learning, children are supported in applying their learning from Relationships and Health Education (RHE) with a ‘Working Wall’ in their classroom which exhibits their ‘Long Term Learning’ questions, as well as thoughts and queries on the topic. Each class also has an RHE book, where reflections from each lesson are made. We believe that as this subject tackles many universal topics, the children should use their RHE learning throughout the day, every day, not just in the designated lesson slot.